circumstances of those very beings themselves, and their relations to each other, and being therefore fit and reasonable in themselves; they may be discerned by such as exercise their reason, and attend to the nature, and circumstances of things.

There may be perplexed cases, when what is duty, what is best and fittest, cannot be determined without some difficulty and the evidence of what is right amounts to no more than probability, or is short of certainty. But the general obligations of virtue, the great branches of duty toward God and men, are discernible by such as think sedately and maturely, as the importance of the thing deserves.

It is reasonable to think it should be so. And the Scriptures teach the same. For St. Paul says: "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them: for God has shewed it unto them." He is speaking of the heathens, who had not the benefit of revelation. "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead. So that they are without excuse because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God; neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened," Rom. i. 19-21. And afterwards: "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law are a law unto themselves who shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing, or else excusing one another," ch. ii. 14, 15.

9. We now perceive the difference between moral precepts, and ritual, ceremonial ordinances and appointments. Moral precepts are fit and reasonable in themselves. They are always obligatory, and are discernible by reason. But none of those properties belong to ritual, or ceremonial ordinances, of which there were many in the law of Moses, concerning bodily purifications, certain attendances at Jerusalem, numerous sacrifices, and the like: and under the gospel-dispensation, baptism and the eucharist. To these, say, do not belong the forementioned properties. They are not fit and reasonable in themselves. They are not always obligatory. They may be set aside, and others appointed in their room. Nor can they be discerned by reason. For their obligation depends upon express or positive appointment. I shall illustrate this by two instances only. It was fit that the people of Israel should remember, and

I

be thankful for, their deliverance from Egyptian bondage: but the duty to celebrate a memorial of it by eating the paschal lamb, owed all its obligation to divine appointment: and another method of commemorating that deliverance might have been ordained.

So likewise, supposing the coming of Christ, and his teaching in Judea, and dying, as he did, and rising again: this great transaction, and particularly the great event of his death, should be thankfully remembered by his disciples and followers: but the way of commemorating it, by eating bread and drinking wine, is of divine determination, and obligatory only by positive appointment.

10. The duties of morality, or moral righteousness, are taught and learned two ways, by reason and revelation. They are taught by reason, as before shown, being fit and equitable in themselves, and appearing so to such as exercise their rational faculties. They may be also taught and enforced by revelation: as we know they are in the Old and the New Testament, by Moses and the prophets, by Jesus Christ and his apostles.

11. Though several expressions and phrases, made use of by us in discoursing on these points are different from those which we find in scripture, yet there also the same things are said and taught.

We do not find in scripture the words morality and immorality, moral good and evil: very seldom that of virtue, never that of vice. These expressions are chiefly taken from Greek and Roman authors: and owe their original and use, in a good measure, to the different way of learning these principles, by reason, rather than revelation.

The word virtue is indeed sometimes found in the New Testament: but yet very rarely in the sense we now use it in, for holiness in general, or every branch of good conduct in itself reasonable and excellent. In one place it seems to be so used by St. Paul, in an exhortation to the Philippians: "If there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things," Philip. iv. 8. As if he had said: and whatever else is virtuous, really good and excellent, and praiseworthy, think of it, and attend to it.

And St. Peter in his first epistle: "But ye are a chosen generation, a peculiar people,--that you should show forth the praises," literally, virtues, " of him, who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light," 1 Pet. ii. 9. But though the original word signifies, literally, virtues; it does not exactly answer to our use of it: and seems to be well enough rendered in our translation, praises.

Again, in the second epistle of the same apostle"through the knowledge of him who has called us to glory and virtue," 2 Pet. i. 3. But this text would be more properly rendered: "through the knowledge of him who has called us by glory and power," or by his glorious power. Here virtue is equivalent to power. And the meaning is, that God had brought us to partake in the privileges of his church by a glorious display and manifestation of his power in supporting and spreading the gospel.

Once more, in the same context: "And beside these, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge," ver. 5. "But here it is evident, that virtue does not signify all virtuous conduct in general, but is put for some one virtue, or good disposition only. It seems to be used in the restrained sense of fortitude, courage, or resolution in the profession of the truth.

There is therefore scarce any text in the New Testament, where the word virtue is used in the general sense, of whatever is virtuous, and excellent, or in itself reasonable; except that one place of St. Paul, before cited from the epistle to the Philippians.

But though several terms and phrases, now used by us in speaking of these matters, are not found in scripture, the same things are there said, and there are equivalent expressions. Righteousness sometimes includes both justice and goodness, and even piety likewise. And then it is the same as virtue, or morality, or moral righteousness. Says the Psalmist: "A little that a righteous man has," that is, a good, or virtuous man," is better than the riches of many wicked," Ps. xxxvii. 16. And, "the righteous Lord loveth righteousness: his countenance does behold the upright," Ps. xi. 7. And in the like manner, very often.

And though we do not find the words virtue and vice, moral good and evil: yet the scripture often speaks of good and evil, such good and evil as are really and intrinsically so: by which the characters of men are distinguished, rather than by the observation of any positive appointments and ritual ordinances. "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices, saith the Lord-Bring no more vain oblations: incense is an abomination unto me---Wash you, make ye clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do well-Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed," Is. i. 11, 17. In another place: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter," Is. v. 20. Our text

speaks of justice, mercy, and piety, as good: that is, intrinsically so; good, in a superior degree to all the sacrifices and oblations before mentioned.

The design of the gospel-dispensation is represented after this manner: "that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life," Luke i. 74, 75. In holiness and righteousness, that is, in a righteous holiness: as kingdom and glory is glorious kingdom, life and immortality is immortal life. So here, holiness and righteousness is a righteous holiness or sanctity: or in modern language, the practice of virtue, or moral righteousness. For there is a ritual, ceremonial, legal holiness or sanctity, consisting in a conformity to ritual precepts, the ordinances and appointments of positive law. But the design of the coming of Christ is here, agreeably to innumerable other texts of the New Testament, represented to be, that we might serve God in a righteous sanctity, or the practice of real holiness. There is a like expression in the epistle to the Ephesians: "That ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness," Eph. iv. 24.

And by the prophets, men were often called upon in such expressions as these: "Amend your ways and your doings," Jer. vii. 3; and, " Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good," ch. xviii. 11. and," Amend now your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God," ch. xxvi. 13. Which is exactly the same as that they should amend their manners, and return to the sincere practice of virtue, or moral right

eousness.

Though therefore we do not find in the scripture all the same words and phrases which are now frequently made use of by us in treating on this subject: yet the same things are there said, and there are also equivalent, or like expressions with those made use of in modern language.

SERMON V.

THE NATURE, EXCELLENCE, AND IMPORTANCE OF
MORAL RIGHTEOUSNESS.

He has shewed thee, O man, what is good. And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Mich. vi. 8.

HAVING explained these words, I endeavoured in a late discourse, to show in several propositions the nature and extent of virtue, or moral righteousness.

II. I am now to show the excellence and importance of virtue, or righteousness and true holiness.

1. This righteousness, as to the main parts of it, has a place in every state and condition: or is of constant, perpetual, and everlasting obligation: as has been already shown, it being fit and reasonable in itself. This is one reason why St. Paul gives the preference to charity or love above faith and hope, that the virtue, or principle of love, will subsist even in the future state: whereas the other two, though very reasonable and beneficial now, will entirely cease, and be no more, when the objects of present faith and hope are possessed and enjoyed. "Charity," says he, "never fails. But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail: whether there be tongues, they shall cease: whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away." The way and manner of knowing here is so slow and tedious: the knowledge, we attain in this state, is so defective and inadequate, that he scruples not to say, "it shall vanish away:" and concludes: "Now abideth faith, hope, charity. But the greatest of these is charity."

2. Moral perfection, or righteousness, is the glory and perfection of God himself: consequently, it must be the chief excellence of all rational beings. I say, moral perfection is the glory and perfection of God himself. Hereby he is truly excellent and amiable: forasmuch as beside his power, knowledge, and understanding, he is a being of unvariable truth, everlasting righteousness, inflexible equity, and abundant goodness. When Moses desired to see God, the divine glory and character were represented to him after this manner: "The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed: The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious,